Lezley Meyer: Level 3/4 & 5, Teen & Senior Company
Lezley has been teaching Jazz, Lyrical, and Ballet for 33 years. She is currently the Director/Choreographer of Ignite Dance Co. She began her dance training with Jody Grant, and began teaching at the age of 16. Lezley danced professionally in Branson, Mo., but returned to her love of teaching after just a few years of performing. Her heart was always in the dance studio. Lezley has been a staff member at Destination Dance (in L.A), and Adrenaline Remix (nationwide). She judges for many regional and national competitions and enjoys teaching master classes and sharing her choreography nationwide. Lezley's choreography has received national awards and recognition. Many of her students have pursued successful careers in the industry as performers and instructors. Lezley also has 24 years (and counting!) of judging experience with many national competitions.
MaKayla Bounds: Petite Company, Kinder, Creative Movement, Level 2
MaKayla, also known as "KK", danced under Lezley Meyer's instruction for over 15 years. KK has experience teaching ages ranging from 18 months to 17 years old. She has earned many national titles with Ignite and went on to dance competitively at the collegiate level for McLennan Community College. KK won back-to-back national championships at NDA Nationals in Daytona during her freshman and sophomore years at MCC. She also spent time teaching at Ignite during her sophomore year. KK then moved to Disney World to work for The Mouse himself before finishing her education at Texas Tech University. While obtaining a degree in education, KK taught many levels of dance at a local competitive dance studio in the Lubbock area. She is now a first grade teacher at Valley Mills ISD. KK loves watching her students grow and improve. She believes in instilling confidence and discipline in her students while building bonds that can last a lifetime.
Adia Richardson: Petite, Junior, & Teen Company, Level 3/4 & 5
Adia is starting her 21st season dancing and teaching for Lezley. After her 15 year dance career with Lezley as a competitive dancer she went on to study Dance Science at Texas A&M. In 2020, Adia graduated with her degree in dance and ventured off to teach middle school dance for Dallas ISD. Adia is excited to return home to both teach at the studio she grew up in, but also to create a middle school dance program for Midway ISD. Adia has traveled statewide, nationally and internationally to dance, participate/present research and set choreography. She sits on the TAHPERD Dance committee and is an active member of IADMS. She is ready to get back to Waco and do some great things in the community and with Ignite!
Melana Johnson: Junior Company
Melana was born and raised in China Spring, Texas. She spent 15 years in studio dance before she started teaching. During high school Melana spent four years on the Electric Blues dance team where she was lieutenant her junior year and captain her senior year. She went on to dance at the collegiate level, where she helped the McLennan Community College Dance Company claim an NDA National title. Melana joined the Texas A&M Corpus Christi dance team while receiving a degree in education. She is currently a first grade teacher at China Spring Elementary and is the CSHS Electric Blues dance team director. She trains in all forms of dance but especially enjoys hip-hop and jazz.
Meredith Sutton: Level 3/4, 5 Ballet, Level 5 Pointe
Meredith Sutton is the dance teacher and choreographer for the Department of Theatre Arts at Baylor University. She teaches ballet, tap, and jazz, choreographs department musicals, mentors student choreographers, and serves as an advisor to the Baylor Dance Company. Recent shows include Anna Karenina, Crazy For You, Fiddler on the Roof, Legally Blonde, and Footloose. She holds an MFA in Directing from Baylor University and a BFA in Dance Performance from West Texas A&M University. She is the mother of four amazing boys.
JoAnn Beheler: Level 1, Level 3/4 Tap
Jo has been dancing since she was three years old and started teaching at age 15. She loves teaching all styles of dance, but enjoys sharing her passion for tap the most. Jo has taught at studios in the Waco and Hewitt areas, and has coached numerous drill teams. She started the Moody Dance Team at Moody High School in 2012, and currently directs the Lorena Legacy. In the Spring season, Jo judges for the HTE Dance Competitions all across Texas. When Jo isn't teaching dance, she is the Family and Consumer Science teacher at Lorena High School. Jo also loves traveling, going to concerts, baking, and spending time with her family and dogs. This will be her seventh year at Ignite. She loves getting to share her passion for dance with her students at Ignite.
Lauren Huhn: Pre-School Combo
Lauren is a recent Texas transplant! She started dancing and competing at the age of 9, in the San Francisco Bay Area. During her years as a dancer, she has trained in many styles including: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, and Contemporary. During those years, she was privileged to train with award winning teachers/choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Tabitha & Napolean D’umo. She started assisting and teaching when she was 17 at her studio in California. She took some time off from dancing to start her family, but is excited to breathe new life into her teaching career in the Heart of Texas. Lauren’s teaching style puts an emphasis on fundamentals and strong technique and hopes to instill her love of dance in her students.
McKenzie Urteaga: Pre-School Combo, Front Office
McKenzie danced under Lezley Meyer’s instruction for 16 years. She started competing at the age of 3. McKenzie is currently a student at the University of North Texas where she danced competitively for the North Texas Dancers for 2 years. She hopes to become a professional dancer for an NBA or NFL team in the near future. McKenzie has taught various ages and levels of dance and loves to watch the kids grow and become the best versions of themselves.